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Christmas Cake in 5 Easy Stages: Stage Five - Icing and Decorating

This is the best bit about making your own Christmas cake: the icing and the decorating (apart from the eating of it, of course)! For this stage you will need some ready to roll fondant icing which is readily available from supermarkets, plus any decorations, ribbons etc. Again, decorations may be laboured over or shop bought or you could go for something really simple like I have done.

Sprinkle your surface with icing sugar and begin by kneading the icing until it becomes more pliable. Roll it out in a rough circle so you have enough to cover the top and sides in one piece. Using the rolling pin for support, drape the icing over the cake. Smooth down the top and ease the sides into place with the heel of your hand trying to ensure that you get a nice even finish. Trim the edges and then you are ready to decorate.

For my simple snowflake design, I found a snowflake printable online and cut out the negative image, so I was left with a stencil guide. I gently scored my six main points of the snowflake with a knife and then added a couple of spikes to each end. I finished with a mix of silver balls and snowballs in a pattern.